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Conrail so loved their SD-40-2's that in 1993 they decided to rebuild 40 units to 'Dash 2' specifications. For this project Conrail chose 30 of their own units and purchased an additional 10 former-Kansas City Southern SD-40's from PAC Rail leasing. Conrail placed these rebuilt SD-40-2R's into the series CR 6960-6999. For a detailed roster of all SD-40-2 and SD-40-2R locomotives, including built/rebuilt dates and former road numbers, check the SD-40-2R Roster page.While Conrail made no attempt to standardize the external appearance of their SD-40-2R's, which can make for some interesting modeling, there are some common features. For example, all SD-40-2R's retain their SD-40 long hood and frame. The hood lacks a sight glass and pilot anticlimbers, both of which are present on the SD-40-2. All SD-40-2R's are equipped with FRA-approved marker lights, a tube-like affair that shines a red beam directly down the track instead of outward along the angle of the hood ends. But the similarities among units end there. For some unique spotting features of individual units, check the 'notes' section of on the photos page, but here are a few features that I have noticed. Some rebuilt SD-40-2R's, for example, have 5-chime Leslie horns left over from their SD-40 days, while other units have the common 3-chime Leslie horn. Some units have ratchet brake levers in the nose, while others have brake wheels. Painting details vary among units also. In short, Conrail's SD-40-2R's are an interesting locomotive to spot. One interesting little note: Two of Conrail's SD-40-2R's had a brush with fame in their previous SD-40 lives. CR 6982 was the former SD-40 'Savings Bond' locomotive (CR 6300), while CR 6981 was the former SD-40 'United Way' locomotive (CR 6288). For those further interested in Conrail's SD-40-2 and SD-40-2R fleet, check A Colorful Look At Conrail's SD-40 and SD-40-2's by Gerard E. Bernet (RAE Publishing), a wonderful book that provided some nice information along with some great photos to look at. At a MSRP of $20, this book is a steal. Most information came from Conrail Locomotive Data books and my own personal experiences with these units and SD-45's.  Photos for personal use only. All rights reserved by original owner of image. Reproduction or redistribution in any form without express written permission is prohibited. The use of Highslide JS is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License. |
